EU Ministers Agree on Biofood Labeling

The Associated Press

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - European Union agriculture ministers clinched a
breakthrough Thursday to end months of dispute over the labeling of
genetically modified food.

The 15 ministers approved by a majority decision that 0.9 percent of
biotech material can be in food or animal feed before it has to be
labeled as genetically modified.

For most of Thursday, seven EU nations were holding out for a 0.5
percent threshold and the rest seeking 1 percent.

In the end, the opposition of Britain, which sought a one-percent
threshold, and Luxembourg and Austria, which wanted more stringent
limits, could not stop the measure from being approved.

``This is a major step forward for consumers,'' said German Consumer
Minister Renate Kuenast.

Now, the ministerial agreement goes back for approval to the European
Parliament, which has previously pushed for the lower limits of
genetically modified food content.

Failure to reach agreement could trigger a trade dispute with the United
States, which is considering taking the EU to the World Trade
Organization unless it lifts a the 4-year-old moratorium on approving
new genetically modified foods and animal feed.

Washington has warned its patience is wearing thin. U.S. officials have
said the ban costs their corn growers alone some $200 million a year in
lost exports.

U.S. producers consider even a 1 percent threshold unworkable, noting
that Japan, which already has similar legislation, set it at 5 percent.

11/28/02 17:34 EST